My Interview with Steve Walker

Steve Walker is the author of A Whole New Ballgame: The 1969 Washington Senators.  His new book will be published this spring by Pocol Press.  You can order it from their website.

I'd like to thank Steve for taking the time to answer some questions about his book and some related baseball topics.

What prompted you to write this book?

The 1969 Senators are the team of my childhood. My father took me to my first game at RFK Stadium that season. I remember feeling awed at the huge size of the field and caught up in the excitement people felt about the club. Many in the media denigrate Washington baseball fans as apathetic and uncaring, but that was not the case in 1969. As it became clear Ted Williams had molded his men into a .500 or better team, the city and surrounding suburbs embraced the Senators. After one successful road trip, more than 1700 D.C. baseball fans traveled to National Airport to welcome their heroes home.

As the years went by, the team remained in my mind as a sweet childhood memory. When Strat-O-Matic (if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm an unabashed baseball nerd) produced a 1969 retro season, I bought the cards just so I could re-play Washington's 1969 schedule. I felt nostalgic joy whenever the dice gave Frank Howard, Mike Epstein or Ken McMullen a home run.

The idea for the book first struck me in 1995. That year turned out to be one of the worst of my life. My father died in April and I got temporarily laid off from my job during the long government shutdown in December. Feeling deep sadness and with many idle hours, I decided to research 1969, a year I associated with happy memories, and the Washington Senators, my favorite baseball team.

The more I researched the club that season -- from Bob Short's purchase of the team, to his amazing hire of Williams as manager, to the team's completely unexpected 86-win season -- the more I felt their saga represented a compelling story. But with two young sons (I now have three, but two are teenagers now, one is 6), I had to put the project on hold.

The 1969 Senators reunion weekend the Washington Baseball Historical Society sponsored in November 1998 revived my dream to write a book about the team. There, I met Tom Holster, Jim Hartley, Ronnie Joyner, David Gough and others who shared my passion for Washington baseball. I met many of the players and interviewed them at the reunion site, the Westfields Inn and Conference Center in Chantilly, Virginia, or made arrangements to speak with them later. As Tom said, the reunion is where my Senators' book took flight..

During the autograph signing at the Dulles Expo Center, I walked the lines with a tape recorder, interviewing fans. The abiding affection they felt for the players like Bosman, Hondo and Cazzie, men who last played in Washington more than a quarter century ago, stirred my soul. At that moment, I knew I had to persevere until I told the story of this team for those fans, the players, and myself.

How did you become a baseball fan?

It was love at first glance -- the glance of the RFK Stadium infield through the mezzanine section and the portals leading to the seating bowl. As I walked with my father, I saw glimpses of the field and these huge men running, throwing and stretching on the deep, green grass. Then, when we walked through the portal to our seats and I saw the field in full view, I recall standing frozen in wonder. The Senators below, in their brilliant red and white uniforms, became my instant heroes. I've loved baseball ever since.

What was the most remarkable part of your research for the book?

I have two "most remarkable" aspects about my research for "A Whole New Ballgame." First and foremost, the kindness everyone gave me when I asked for their time and help. The Washington Baseball Historical Society members shared their memorabilia, photos, and contact information for players and coaches to keep the project moving. The people at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, worked extra hard to help me find photos and news clippings about everyone who played for the 1969 Senators. The players gave me at least double the "20 minutes" I requested for interviews. Ron Menchine, half of the radio broadcast team (Shelby Whitfield was the other), treated me to dinner. Even one of the team's bat boys, Paul Oppermann, shared his stories and memories for nearly 90 minutes.

The second remarkable aspect is the candor and openness everyone displayed during interviews. They told me hilarious, heart warming, and heart breaking tales, stories of unprecedented performances, dogged perseverance, and deferred, but sweet redemption. You can read more about them in the book.

What memories do you have of the '69 Senators?

In addition to the story above about my first game at RFK, I remember how much Ted Williams and the Senators filled the summer conversation of the dads in my neighborhood and the games I played with my friends. I was fortunate to live on a street with a bunch of boys my age. I remember playing baseball in the street and in our backyards and we all wanted to be players from the Senators -- Ed Brinkman, Paul Casanova, Ken McMullen, Ed "The Streak" Stroud, Del Unser. Nobody even tried to be Frank Howard. We knew we couldn't hit balls from RFK into the Anacostia River like he could -- at least, that's what our dads told us.

Overall, I remember how the Senators captured the area's attention that summer. People became excited about baseball in Washington.

Who is your favorite player from that team and why?

My favorite 1969 Senator was Mike Epstein. Like me, he batted left-handed and played first base. I felt quite sad when Short traded him to Oakland. The Denny McClain (and other lesser lights) for Brinkman and Aurelio Rodriguez trade gets more attention, but the Epstein and Darold Knowles trade for Frank Fernandez, Paul Linblad and Don Mincher in May 1971 was equally bad. The A's went on to win a World Series, while the Senators went away to Texas.

At your blog, you write about ten players from the '69 squad that still work in baseball.   Which of their stories stands out the most? 

There's three stories that I feel are equally compelling and wonderful. The first is Dick Bosman's role as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays. A lot of those young arms you saw leading the Rays to the World Series learned under Bosman's watchful eyes.

Next, Wayne Terwilliger astounds me. He continues to coach for the Fort Worth Cats -- at age 83! He told me ten years ago when I interviewed him that he was going to retire that season. I doubt he ever will. I hope he's still coaching at 100.

Finally, I love the story of Jim Shellenback. He's with the Elizabethtown Twins as a pitching coach. The man nearly died in a car accident 41 years ago. He walked with a limp afterwards, but persevered to play seven more seasons in the major leagues.

The Nationals have installed Senators memorabilia at Nationals Park.  How would you rate their effort?

I would rate their effort as incomplete.. They've made as good a start as one could expect with the pictures and huge baseball card facsimiles in the club level and with the Frank Howard pillar on the stadium's mezzanine. However, I would like to see them do much more to celebrate Washington's rich baseball history (which, if you take the 1901-1960 Senators, is not as bad as people think).

For example, I would love to see banners of Washington baseball players hanging from light poles on the way to the park from the Navy Yard Metro and similar banners hung throughout the stadium. Why not have pennants and photos throughout the ballpark to make it a celebration of D.C. baseball. Not just stars like Walter Johnson and Frank Howard, but other fine, often overlooked greats like Goose Goslin, Cecil Travis, Bucky Harris, George Case, Mickey Vernon, Joe Judge, Muddy Ruel, Roy Sievers, and many others. Why not mark where some of Howard's tape measure shots would have landed if he hit them at Nationals Park?

Since this is the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Senators, why not add photos and banners of Ted Williams, Hank Allen, Bernie Allen, Jim Hannan, Joe Coleman, Darold Knowles, Del Unser? Why not invite those players back so fans could honor them? I guarantee you, the house would light up for some of these guys, especially Paul Casanova, one of the team's most popular, flamboyant players.

How about honoring the 1924 World Series Champions on their 85th anniversary with a commemorative pin and pennant and a game where the teams don throwback uniforms? Why not invite Ron Menchine back as a guest announcer for some Sunday home games? Why not honor the memory of Senators who have recently died such as Sid Hudson, Ed Brinkman and Mickey Vernon?

I think the Nationals can do a whole lot more in this area -- and I hope they do.

In April, the Nationals will erect statues for Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson, and Frank Howard.   Given that he is not a Hall of Famer, Howard's selection may have raised a few eyebrows.   Do you think the Nationals made the right decision? 

In honoring Howard with a statue, the Nationals absolutely made the right decision. While not in Cooperstown with The Big Train and Josh Gibson, Howard is a Washington Hall-of-Famer and D.C.'s lone living baseball legend.

Beyond the statue, I'm longing for the Nationals to sign him as a major league scout, goodwill ambassador, or both. Having Howard, a kind and engaging man, as a spokesman for the team would restore some of the goodwill and trust that the team squandered during its dismal 2008 season. Howard still commands deep respect and love wherever he goes in this area. I was at the Potomac Nationals winter banquet in January (the same night as the Fan Fest). Howard was the keynote speaker and received a standing ovation.

We spoke at the NatsFest in January.   How did that experience go for you and your son?

We loved it! We especially loved seeing the clubhouse and hitting in the underground batting cage. The Nationals did a really good job with the fan fest. I hope they have one every year. We'll be there if they do.

I just wish they would credit the Washington Baseball Historical Society (WBHS) with the term "NatsFest." The WBHS held annual and wonderful NatsFest's for years during baseball's absence.

Where and when will you be appearing to talk about your book?

On July 11, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., I will speak at the local Society for American Baseball Research's (SABR) "Talkin' Baseball" group..  The group meets at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living, 7110 Minstrel Way, Columbia, Maryland. As the host Dave Paulson says, "Admission is free and all are welcome." 

I also plan to sign and sell books at the Pocol Press table at the SABR National Convention, July 30 - August 2, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. I saw that Stan Kasten will be the keynote speaker. It's shaping up to be one of the best SABR conventions ever. I'm preparing abstracts for a presentation now and hope the review committee selects one.

Pocol Press and I are also attempting to line up appearances at a Washington Nationals Fan Club meeting, Miller Library in Ellicott City, Maryland and a library in or near Fairfax County, Virginia.

Comments

[Ken Voytek]

Are there any others book on the same topic?

[Jay]

Ken,

I don't think so. You might want to go to Steve's website and email him.

Thanks.

[Steve Walker]

Jay,

This is Steve Walker. Thank you for posting my interview. My publisher is Pocol Press.

Those who would like to order my book can do so at www.pocolpress.com.

Here's a direct link to the book as well:

http://pocolpress.com/getBookDetail.php?bookID=000040

[Ken Voytek]

Steve -

I found one published by Ted Leavengood published by McFarlane (2009) and is entitled "Ted Williams and the 1969 Washginton Senators." It is out now.

Ken

[Steve]

Ken,

Wow, two books on the 1969 Senators! I'm glad this wonderful team is finally getting the attention it deserves.

My book, from Pocol Press, has gone to the printers. You can order it now from www.pocolpress.com. It should be back from the printer in 2-3 weeks.

I hope you will purchase both and let the authors know what you thought of our books.